Delft: Promoting the use of bicycle by systematic town planning

Abstract:

The promotion of bicycle use has a long tradition in the Netherlands, as nearly 12 of the 14 million Dutch citizens own a bicycle. Throughout the 1980s, the national Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management provided substantial financial resources for city-wide bicycle projects. Delft was one of the model locations which implemented a systematic network of bicycle paths. This case of good practice has made an impact for the following reasons:

• Bicycle use has increasingly become a viable option for the inhabitants;
• Environmentally compatible means of travel have been integrated into the overall town planning;
• Infrastructure improvements systematically contribute to the positive image of cycling;
• In contrast to the national trend, there had been no increase in car travel;
• Cycling comfort and safety standards have been improved.

Concept and aims

A major aim of traffic planning in the Netherlands is directed towards restricting the use of cars. Therefore, in the late 1970s, the first national Traffic and Transport Structure Scheme and the following Programme for Personal Transport (1980-84) gave high priority to the encouragement of bicycle use and the improvement of traffic safety by providing better facilities for cyclists. Within this policy strategy, the municipality of Deft was selected as a model city for pro-bicycle traffic planning.

The second Traffic and Transport Structure Scheme also seeks a balance between individual freedom, accessibility, and environment. It has been concluded that the only way to reach this goal is to control the use of the car. In the Netherlands, 40% of all car journeys are less than 5 km, and therefore, the bicycle is likely to represent an reasonable alternative. Consequently, the following two trends are desired:

1. for short distances (up to 5-10 kilometres), a shift from using cars to using bicycles should take place with a considerable increase in the number of kilometres covered by non-motorised transport;
2. a shift from using cars to public transport should take place, with the expectation that twice as many passengers‘ kilometres will be covered by public transport in 2010.

Concerning the use of bicycles, the national plan aims for a 30% portion of city-wide transportation to be achieved through cycling by 2010. This should be reached by using a combination of measures that favour cycling, such as: the provision of new cycle routes, facilities at railway stations, principal bus and tram stops, and various other aims to make cycling both safer and more pleasant.

Bicycle use varies distinctly between medium sized towns in the Netherlands (population between 50,000 - 200,000). The proportion of trips made with bicycles varies from 20%-50% in these towns. Currently, there are approximately 19,000 km of cycling paths and lanes in the Netherlands.

The project’s primary goal is to encourage cycling. Research on urban bicycle routes has stressed that an increase can be reached if the infrastructure for cyclists is improved. It was also stated that the network structure of bicycle routes is the most promising way to get people on their bikes. On the one hand, the extension of the bicycle routes is improving traffic safety standards, and on the other, the subjective feeling of safety of the potential users is growing. In particular, the subjective factor triggers a change of attitude towards cycling. Such a positive opinion is especially important in peripherally located districts, as an efficient change in the modal split is assessed in the distances travelled. The Delft planning approach is paying tribute to the different user demands.

Implementation

Between 1979 and 1985, the Delft bicycle plan was put into practice. The main effort had been on the construction of facilities that could help to complete the city-wide bicycle network. The network plan includes a diversity of measures in the area of urban infrastructure, as well as regulations concerning traffic control. The main characteristic of the Delft bicycle network plan is its hierarchy. It is made up of three networks at different spatial levels - the city level, the district level, and the sub-district level, each having its own functional and design characteristics:

The city level network consists of a grid of cycle paths situated approximately 500 metres apart. The paths run directly through the city and they are connected with the regional bicycle path system. The network is designed for the purpose of linking intensive flows of cyclists with important urban activity centres, such as: schools, university, railway and bus stations, office and industrial areas, and sport and recreation areas. Physical barriers (canals, railways, etc.) require expensive infrastructure measures to avoid detours.

The district level network has two major functions. It connects the various facilities within the district (schools, shops etc.) and collects and distributes traffic to and from the city level network. At this level the links are spaced 200 - 300 metres apart. In contrast to the city level network, the bicycle flows are assumed to be less dense as the district level network is mainly used for shorter distance trips. The facilities required at this level are relatively simple: separated bicycle lanes, small bridges, etc.

The sub-district level network connects housing areas to local amenities, which in most cases is a short trip. This particular network is often used by children. The sub-district level network is a fine-grained system with links at 100 metre intervals and a simple structure and provisions which can also be used by pedestrians.

So far, the Delft bicycle network consists of:

• building of two tunnels;
• construction of three bicycle bridges;
• reconstruction of seven intersections;
• creation of space to wait in front of cars at 14 traffic lights;
• 3.3 km of new connecting bicycle tracks;
• 2.6 km of streets that are bi-directional for cycles, but one-way for cars;
• 8.5 km of bicycle lanes and tracks parallel to roads;
• repaving of 10 km bicycle path with asphalt.

Results and Impacts

Based on the Delft project, it can be assumed that 55% is the maximum attainable share for bicycle transportation within the city.

The average number of bicycle trips has increased by 10% from 25,000 to 28,000. The distance travelled by bicycle increased from 6 to 8% (depending on the type of trip). This figure does not include increases caused by factors other than the bicycle network. The length of the trips also increased from 3.7 km to 3.9 km, although there are shorter routes available now. The increased number of trips is mainly attributed to males making more bike trips to school or work. Another interesting result is that the distance travelled also increased, whereas the travel time did not change.

An evaluative study showed that these results are mainly due to a change in the usage of the network. The following factors contributed to the improvements:

• The hierarchical structure is an important element of the planning, as it is giving priority to urban centres and the linkage of urban, district, sub-district, and neighbourhood levels.
• It is estimated that 60% of the bicycle kilometres are travelled on the urban level, which represents only 30% of the total network length.
• At the same time, cycling on separate bicycle tracks has increased from 30% to 35%, whereas cycling on normal streets with mixed traffic decreased from 45% to 40%.

The higher standards of cycling comfort and safety encourage people to choose the bicycle as a means of transport. The city centre has especially experienced positive effects, as the number of car trips to the area declined. This makes the historic centre more attractive and gives it a pleasant, intimate ambience.

The modal split changed from 40% to 43% in favour of the bicycle. Car use and walking both remained stable at 26%. The public transport share declined from 6% to 4%, although the total number of passengers remained the same.

Finance

Between 1982-1992, the spending on the Delft bicycle plan amounted to 28 million Dutch Guilders. Fully 80% of the cost were given as grants from the Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management.

Source of Information

Hartman, Jan 1993: The Delft bicycle network, in: Rodney Tolley, (ed.), The greening of urban transport: planning for walking and cycling in Western cities, London, pp. 193-200

Rietveld, Piet 1993: Policy responses in the Netherlands, in: David Banister / Kenneth Button, (ed.), Transport, the Environment and Sustainable Development, London, pp. 102-113

Kroon, Martin 1993: Traffic and environmental policy in the Netherlands, in: Rodney Tolley, (ed.), The greening of urban transport: planning for walking and cycling in Western cities, London, pp. 113-133

Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment, (ed.) 1994: The Greenhouse Effect. Preventive Urban Actions in the Netherlands, Study by the International Institute for the Urban Environment, Delft, Den Haag

Contact:

Cities:

Delft :

The City of Delft is located in the centre of the Dutch Randstad between the capital The Hague and the City of Rotterdam. It has a historic centre and a compact building style. A large amount of employment is in the academic sector (approximately 6,000). It has a technical university and a research park.

Population:

Project was added at 27.06.1996
Project was changed at 02.03.2001

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